Sometimes it feels like we are what amounts to the kids who have to ride in their Father's Amish buggies all the while yearning to be in one of those exotic sports cars that casually pass you by on the road into town. I have mentioned in he past that the NFL moves fast, but this franchise seems to be a step behind and a little slower moving much of the time.

Vinny, I'm an infamous Kubiak apologist. While I may (depending on my mood) take exception with the harshness of your analogy, it is certainly true. Even at my most blissful, I lknow that Kubiak's learning curve is not a sharp one. I comfort that truth with another: he does learn. He will, eventually, see the problems and begin to modify and adapt... So, I feel good about the lessons learned this year and think the organization will be better for it next season. Do I wish Kubiak were quicker to adjust? Heck yeah!

Kubiak's greatest strength, I believe, is that he will never lose the players. I believe he has rare integrity that most players are moved by. He's a guy (sorry to scare some of you) that, if the team has some playoff success, could remain in position for 20 years or more... He's not a guy with antics that players tire of nor a guy whose message runs its course.

It appears that the organization's current strength and bright future are primarily the result of the following, though:

1. McNair's determination and commitment for stability (agree or not, the decision to keep Smithiak in place after 2010 was a gutsy decision that has paid dividends)

2. Rick Smith- I think Rick Smith has become one heck of a GM. Given that at least some power shifted away from Kubiak and to Smith after the 2010 debacle, I think we can count on consistently good personnel decisions between March and August.

“The hurry-up, again we weren’t fully prepared for some reason,” said outside linebacker Brooks Reed, who didn’t play in the first matchup because of a groin injury. “It’s extremely hard to get the call in and line up when they are going hurry-up. They’re not going to wait for you. They’ve got plays planned out and one audible and they’ve got their play ready. Whereas we’ve got to get the call from the sideline, get lined up, recognize the formation.

“It takes us a lot more time to get lined up than they do. That’s the challenge and again that’s what kind of got us today. And making plays too, it’s them making plays not just them hurrying up. I think we could have been a little bit more prepared. We knew that was going to happen. We saw it on film, them lining up quick and defenses not being ready. We didn’t think it was going to be us and in some cases today it was.” http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth/tag/_/name/brooks-reed
******
That's a pretty candid remark by Reed, but it tells us something - Wade Phillips is not perfect.

Wow. So all opposing offenses have to do is run a hurry up and the Texans defense folds up. Why am I not surprised?

Vinny, I'm an infamous Kubiak apologist. While I may (depending on my mood) take exception with the harshness of your analogy, it is certainly true. Even at my most blissful, I lknow that Kubiak's learning curve is not a sharp one. I comfort that truth with another: he does learn. He will, eventually, see the problems and begin to modify and adapt... So, I feel good about the lessons learned this year and think the organization will be better for it next season. Do I wish Kubiak were quicker to adjust? Heck yeah!

Kubiak's greatest strength, I believe, is that he will never lose the players. I believe he has rare integrity that most players are moved by. He's a guy (sorry to scare some of you) that, if the team has some playoff success, could remain in position for 20 years or more... He's not a guy with antics that players tire of nor a guy whose message runs its course.

It appears that the organization's current strength and bright future are primarily the result of the following, though:

1. McNair's determination and commitment for stability (agree or not, the decision to keep Smithiak in place after 2010 was a gutsy decision that has paid dividends)

2. Rick Smith- I think Rick Smith has become one heck of a GM. Given that at least some power shifted away from Kubiak and to Smith after the 2010 debacle, I think we can count on consistently good personnel decisions between March and August.

how about learning he hurry up offense, or the sugar huddle when down by 18 with nearly a quarter left? My quandary is that Kubiak isn't a defensive coach so he should be at least be able to diversify the offense enough to function like everybody else does when they get behind vs good teams. We've all seen the other playoffs teams ramp it up when needed. I don't doubt this franchise will not be awful, but it wouldn't shock me to discover that the last 6 weeks of this season are what we are looking forward to next season (underachieving moreso than record) if we can't step away from this slow, plodding offense we are running today. It won't do us much good to have a nice balanced stat line if the game is over every time a good team jumps out ahead. You weren't at least a little bit troubled about the tempo and pace of our "comeback"? Walking back to the huddle, calling running plays, keeping the clock going and you gotta love those quarterback sneaks. They reminded me of those famous Pastorini bootlegs.

The Pats is like a fast break team; it doesn't need a great center to go downfield in a hurry.

The key is the point guard who can press the ball down court.
You don't need a dominant Center or PFW to do this; you need a dominant point guard. You don't even need a great shooting guard.

But those guys need to be able to run all day long to keep up with your incredible creative point guard.

The key to your success is the point guard, everything else is secondary.

If your basketball team is center-driven, it's different.
If your team relies on the 3, it's also different.

I hope I brought a decent analogy. !??

Quote:

Originally Posted by 76Texan

We've met in person, but that's besides the point.

Credentials and all, it should be easy for you to prove a point.

It's not good, I don't think, to try to prove a point by saying nothing on the matter.

We're discussing a matter here, and you don't add or subtract anything from it, except interjecting a comment that has nothing to do with the discussion.

Should we take your take?
Welll, we don't even know what your take is on this matter!

1. In basketball players play offense and defense - this alone makes the analogy poor. I think you meant pass, rather than press. In basketball, press is short for pressure, a defensive term.
2. A fast break most often does not begin with the ball in the PG's hands. The better fast break teams will have a Center or PF that will rebound or block a shot and make an outlet pass up the court, usually to the PG; and then must fill the open lanes for spacing, and someone must bust their ass to get to the paint in order to make the defense react. A fast break to the fan is the artistic dunk at the end, to a team a fast break is an opportunity, but also to set itself up on the secondary break, for a an open shot on the swing, low post or weakside. If not, then through the spacing the team should be able to seamlessly go into it's motion or set out of the secondary break.
3. PG's are most often an extension of the coach, and the better teams will have PGs that do not have the ball in their hands for too long. In a fast break, the PG should take one dribble, two at tops, and get rid of it. If not queue up the secondary break. The PG for me, is a player that must be able to dictate tempo on both sides of the floor, specifically on defense. The last thing you look for from a PG in a break is creativity, as a coach. The break is drilled at grade school and derivatives of those grade school drills are still used in the pros.
4. Lakers - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in my opinion is the most underrated player ever. 6 Championships, 6 MVPs and the all-time leading scorer. James Worthy was a 7 time all-star and one of the best finishers in the open court. What made them showtime was Magic's smile and personality, what made them great was playing D, controlling the boards, finding the outlet man, filling their lanes, keeping the ball off the floor, and finishing whether it is the fast or secondary break. In short, execution.
5. Great PGs do not equate to Championships, unless you are talking HS or College
6. Basketball must advance the ball due to a 24 second clock
7. In closing, Rugby and Basketball, IMO, may be more analogous for your train of thought.

In regards to proving a counterpoint by saying nothing - this is a message board. You, Fiddler, Thunderkyss, Norg, I, etc, are not always understood - depending upon the take, experience on the subject, presentation, etc., whether it comes from the publisher or the consumer of the post. Moreover, it is my opinion that attempting to prove a point or insinuate fact, via a post that makes no sense, should be called out or qualified for the betterment of the poster, community and the inquisitor.

how about learning he hurry up offense, or the sugar huddle when down by 18 with nearly a quarter left? My quandary is that Kubiak isn't a defensive coach so he should be at least be able to diversify the offense enough to function like everybody else does when they get behind vs good teams. We've all seen the other playoffs teams ramp it up when needed. I don't doubt this franchise will not be awful, but it wouldn't shock me to discover that the last 6 weeks of this season are what we are looking forward to next season (underachieving moreso than record) if we can't step away from this slow, plodding offense we are running today. It won't do us much good to have a nice balanced stat line if the game is over every time a good team jumps out ahead. You weren't at least a little bit troubled about the tempo and pace of our "comeback"? Walking back to the huddle, calling running plays, keeping the clock going and you gotta love those quarterback sneaks. They reminded me of those famous Pastorini bootlegs.

I was alternating yelling and mocking the players, and coaches. It was infuriating!

We have successfully run hurry-up offenses in previous years. In 2009 and 2010, we did it quite a bit. But, that is a strong theme this year. Offensively, there was significant regression in the passing game from those seasons. Some of it can be attributed to Oline issues, etc... However, I think a lot of it has to do with team identity. As soon as Cushing was injured, I told Barrett that the key to our success in the playoffs would be whether the offense could re-establish itself (the next two months) as an aggressive unit that was primarily responsible for scoring enough points to win, instead of clock-sucking, methodical, and calculated- which it became (and it worked when the defense was dominant, and was necessary when Yates took over). Well, that transition clearly never took place.

Befuddling and frustrating for sure! Fortunately, I was resigned to losing the game before it was played. Otherwise, I may have had a stroke.

I was alternating yelling and mocking the players, and coaches. It was infuriating!

We have successfully run hurry-up offenses in previous years. In 2009 and 2010, we did it quite a bit. But, that is a strong theme this year. Offensively, there was significant regression in the passing game from those seasons. Some of it can be attributed to Oline issues, etc... However, I think a lot of it has to do with team identity. As soon as Cushing was injured, I told Barrett that the key to our success in the playoffs would be whether the offense could re-establish itself (the next two months) as an aggressive unit that was primarily responsible for scoring enough points to win, instead of clock-sucking, methodical, and calculated- which it became (and it worked when the defense was dominant, and was necessary when Yates took over). Well, that transition clearly never took place.

Befuddling and frustrating for sure! Fortunately, I was resigned to losing the game before it was played. Otherwise, I may have had a stroke.

Losing guys who could give you what David Anderson gave us and Andre Davis gave us kept us married to our slower moving tight end sets....between Posey, Jean and Martin they gave us a combined 22 catches from the wr3. Perhaps they will give us some more help next season.

BTW, I do agree Kubiak deserves some blame as he is the head coach. At the same time, though, he deserves some credit for the defense's turnaround from 3 seasons ago. That's my point.

Whoever hired Wade deserves the credit for the turn around.

Facts are this is an offensive league. King God'ell has turned the NFL into a version of the AFL with a bigger field and different rules. All of the teams that won scored 30 pts or more. (That doesn't includes garbage time pts/stats.)

Gary needs to fix the offense if the team is going to take the next step. He needs to find Schaub/AJ's heir apparents and fix the OL in 1 offseason. As well as get more speed at LB and add a S.

Is that alot to ask? Yep, but it can be done if Rick/Gary/Wade are willing to work hard enough. Hopefully there wont be any sleep apnea surgeries during this yrs combine.

1. In basketball players play offense and defense - this alone makes the analogy poor. I think you meant pass, rather than press. In basketball, press is short for pressure, a defensive term.
2. A fast break most often does not begin with the ball in the PG's hands. The better fast break teams will have a Center or PF that will rebound or block a shot and make an outlet pass up the court, usually to the PG; and then must fill the open lanes for spacing, and someone must bust their ass to get to the paint in order to make the defense react. A fast break to the fan is the artistic dunk at the end, to a team a fast break is an opportunity, but also to set itself up on the secondary break, for a an open shot on the swing, low post or weakside. If not, then through the spacing the team should be able to seamlessly go into it's motion or set out of the secondary break.
3. PG's are most often an extension of the coach, and the better teams will have PGs that do not have the ball in their hands for too long. In a fast break, the PG should take one dribble, two at tops, and get rid of it. If not queue up the secondary break. The PG for me, is a player that must be able to dictate tempo on both sides of the floor, specifically on defense. The last thing you look for from a PG in a break is creativity, as a coach. The break is drilled at grade school and derivatives of those grade school drills are still used in the pros.
4. Lakers - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in my opinion is the most underrated player ever. 6 Championships, 6 MVPs and the all-time leading scorer. James Worthy was a 7 time all-star and one of the best finishers in the open court. What made them showtime was Magic's smile and personality, what made them great was playing D, controlling the boards, finding the outlet man, filling their lanes, keeping the ball off the floor, and finishing whether it is the fast or secondary break. In short, execution.
5. Great PGs do not equate to Championships, unless you are talking HS or College
6. Basketball must advance the ball due to a 24 second clock
7. In closing, Rugby and Basketball, IMO, may be more analogous for your train of thought.

In regards to proving a counterpoint by saying nothing - this is a message board. You, Fiddler, Thunderkyss, Norg, I, etc, are not always understood - depending upon the take, experience on the subject, presentation, etc., whether it comes from the publisher or the consumer of the post. Moreover, it is my opinion that attempting to prove a point or insinuate fact, via a post that makes no sense, should be called out or qualified for the betterment of the poster, community and the inquisitor.

The PG for me, is a player that must be able to dictate tempo on both sides of the floor,

Right here is the key for you coach, you said it yourself.

And we are not talking about ONE play; we are talking about the whole philosophy of your team.

If you are a fastbreaking team, let's say the Nuggets back then, who's the most important guy on your team.

Facts are this is an offensive league. King God'ell has turned the NFL into a version of the AFL with a bigger field and different rules. All of the teams that won scored 30 pts or more. (That doesn't includes garbage time pts/stats.)

Gary needs to fix the offense if the team is going to take the next step. He needs to find Schaub/AJ's heir apparents and fix the OL in 1 offseason. As well as get more speed at LB and add a S.

Is that alot to ask? Yep, but it can be done if Rick/Gary/Wade are willing to work hard enough. Hopefully there wont be any sleep apnea surgeries during this yrs combine.

Either fix the offense or create a time machine so he can use this offense back before some of the recent rule changes.

Do you know, for example, that they had lined up the RB Vereen out wide the last game just the same?

We had Barwin on him the last time.

If you want to say adjusting, then, this time we had a different guy on him.

The Texans chose to have a different guy on him (an ILB vs an OLB.)

Nothing new from the Pats there.

You should sing Wade for his "adjusting", yeah?

76, I fall somewhere in the middle in this larger argument. However, I must make a couple points here:

Given that our linebackers are all either DE converts or 30+ year old has-beens, don't you think the Texan coaching staff had already signed their death warrant by exposing those guys to man coverage almost every snap of the game?

And, not only that, but Tom Brady and the entire New England staff went into the game (and the previous game) knowing that they could count on almost exclusively man coverage- and therefore game plan and call plays to consistently exploit very favorable matchups.

** How about hiding those guys in a zone sometimes. Heck, even if the zone is not particular effective, at least it can potentially create doubt or uncertainty in Brady's head, the receiver's head (possibly effecting his route), and/or the playcaller's head, making man coverage more effective and/or blitzes less telegraphed when the defense is spread out.

Either fix the offense or create a time machine so he can use this offense back before some of the recent rule changes.

Kubiak can't get much credit for the defensive turn around, other than his responsibility for that unmitigated disaster in 2010 which led to him losing his authority to hire the D.C.

Except for one caveat (which is significant, I think)- He has allowed/supported Rick Smith spending the bulk of the financial and draft resources on defensive talent, taking it upon himself to develop lesser talent and scheme the offense towards success. And, he has been (for the most part) very successful at that.

Looking ahead, I am hopeful that he will recognize the need for an infusion of talent offensively or this thing is going to bog down again and again... Vinny, I agree.

76, I fall somewhere in the middle in this larger argument. However, I must make a couple points here:

Given that our linebackers are all either DE converts or 30+ year old has-beens, don't you think the Texan coaching staff had already signed their death warrant by exposing those guys to man coverage almost every snap of the game?

And, not only that, but Tom Brady and the entire New England staff went into the game (and the previous game) knowing that they could count on almost exclusively man coverage- and therefore game plan and call plays to consistently exploit very favorable matchups.

** How about hiding those guys in a zone sometimes. Heck, even if the zone is not particular effective, at least it can potentially create doubt or uncertainty in Brady's head, the receiver's head (possibly effecting his route), and/or the playcaller's head, making man coverage more effective and/or blitzes less telegraphed when the defense is spread out.

Except for one caveat (which is significant, I think)- He has allowed/supported Rick Smith spending the bulk of the financial and draft resources on defensive talent, taking it upon himself to develop lesser talent and scheme the offense towards success. And, he has been (for the most part) very successful at that.

When Kubiak came aboard we all bought into the plug and play model based on his success in Denver with low or undrafted RBs, WRs, OL. I have not seen anything to suggest that Smith was the catalyst for this since taking on the GM duties. In fact, 2012 was the first draft where we were weighted at the top towards the offensive side of the ball.